


Go to the end of the road

by apfelmarmelade



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Immortality, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prompt Fic, Sadness, This is mostly thanks to aryasnark, mentions of attempted murder, night out gone wrong, who's writting awesome prompt fills over at their account - go and pay them a visit!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-21 20:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15565899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apfelmarmelade/pseuds/apfelmarmelade
Summary: Prompt fills, mostly strifehart centered (not necessarily romantic or slash in any way)Chapter one: This was not how he thought his night would end and he was determined to not let it. (night out gone wrong, mentions of attempted murder)Chapter two: Two people, both say they can read minds. One of them actually can, but wishes he couldn't. (Superpowers AU, sadness)Chapter three: Living for a long time had required them to be apart sometimes to have a good relationship. That is about to change. (immortality, relationship negotiations)





	1. “You can scream if you want.”

**Author's Note:**

> I promise I was going for something light...but it got away from me. 
> 
> Unbetaed and just edited once. Any mistakes you can blame on the heat because I'm literally melting.

This was not how he had envisioned his night to go. At all.  
Then again, no one would have probably.  
He had just gone to town for a fun night out. There were vague plans with friends in place, to meet at their usual bar later on, but he hadn’t even gotten there. At the first place he had entered, some guy had chatted him up. He had been fun to talk to, at least under the influence of some drinks, and they had agreed to leave for his place for some fun - no strings attached and all that. 

It might be bad etiquette to just leave without alerting his friends that he wasn’t going to show up, but then again, he hadn’t even really agreed to do so in the first place. No one would be waiting for him. In hindsight, not telling anyone had also not been really safety conscious of him. 

It had been exciting at first. Sitting in the cab, close to each other. The stranger had leaned in, making sure his hands were on him at all times, whispered in his ear “Where we are going, there’s no one around. You can scream if you want” and had promptly latched on to his neck. It had been arousing. 

But apparently, there had been some miscommunication. Cloud certainly was not down to what the creep had in store for him. “You can scream if you want” did not promise him an exciting night. The guy had wanted to make him actually scream. As in “Help, I am being dismembered” scream. Cloud wasn’t having it.

As soon as he had realized, he had clubbed the man with the nearest object he could find - a nail bat of all things - and gotten out. But that left him with his current problem. Because, as had been promised, there was actually no one around. He was in the middle of a forest, as cliche as that was, with no idea how to get back to town. 

Some long forgotten lessons from school had him following the river he had found, but that was more out of his need to do anything else than standing stupidly in the middle of a forest while a murderer might be looking for him. Of course, his phone had been sneaked away from him. Probably during one of the make out sessions in the car. He shuddered thinking back to it. And he was cursing himself for not having looked for a phone at the house he had been brought to. But he had been panicked and lead by instinct, which had told him to just get away. 

Which meant that he was now aimlessly wandering through the dark woods. His panic was clearing from his mind now, leaving him open to be flooded by all kinds of doubts and self criticism. He was questioning his decision to go with the guy in the first place. To not tell his friends. Was he going the right way or just running back into his arms? Was that a normal noise a forest made during the night? Oh good what if there were boars! You couldn’t outrun boars, maybe if he made it on a tree in time-

So immersed into his spiralling mind, he didn't even notice when he stumbled over the crude edge of pavement. Cloud stopped. That was...good. Probably? A road was definitely better than a river. He looked right, then left. He didn’t recognize anything as he had hoped, which left him to choose a side at random. Now that safety was getting closer, inspiration struck him. Height! That’s what he should have been aiming for! Getting to the highest point to get a grip on his location, not following some stupid river. The road was flat on both sides, so he chose to go right. 

It turned out that had been the right decision. Just ten minutes into walking, a phone both sprung out of the ground. Cloud had to stop and stare for a moment. That was...awfully convenient. He squinted at the phone. It looked real. It looked like it was still in working condition. When he touched it, it didn’t just dematerialize either. 

So he decided not to question his luck for now and dialed the only relevant number that he knew by heart. He was praying that the other person would take the call, there had only been a small amount of change in his pocket and he was already grateful for that. He didn’t want to push his luck but he needed this call to go through.

It rang. A second time. At the fifth ring, he was starting to breath faster. And then that unmistakable tone of the phone being picked up on the other side followed. Cloud was so relieved he didn’t even let Leon finish his irritated greeting. It would all be fine now. He was safe.


	2. “He thinks he’s a mind reader.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of these days I am gonna do a happy prompt...  
> I explain a bit more in the end notes if you come to the end and are still not sure what's going on haha

“Cloud? What are you still doing around here? I thought you went home an hour ago.” 

Cloud held up a hand instead of answering - a wordless command to be silent - and kept his eyes focused on the crowd in front of him. Leon followed his gaze. He was curious now what his boyfriend was so riveted by. 

At the center of the people forming a half circle stood a man, long silver hair sleeked back, in a suit and with dramatic gestures. He was talking to his audience, trying to pull them in. Moving back and forth and always keeping up his animated hand movements, he was now picking up his voice again. Leon was still too far away to hear what he was saying, but the tone carried. It was obvious this man knew how to keep attention. 

While he had been observing the entertainment, Cloud had apparently gotten out his phone. He was holding it up to him, with his eyes now back to where they had been before. Leon took the device. 

“He thinks he’s a mind reader” Leon read on the screen. 

He looked down again at Cloud. His boyfriend had apparently been sitting on the edge of this fountain for some time, there was an empty coffee cup besides him, as well as some empty sandwich wrappers. 

“You mean everyone else thinks that.” 

Cloud shook his head no.

Leon hummed. “Then he has convinced himself he can read minds?” 

A nod this time. Leon could now see the amused smile on his lips. He snorted. 

It wasn't like he found the notion of mind reading ridiculous. It wasn't even a question that it was real. But it took some really heavy work to convince oneself to possess powers they didn't. Unless…he looked back at the performer and his eyes narrowed. His voice did as well when he asked next: “Do you suspect outside influence?” it would certainly explain Clouds sudden interest. 

But Cloud shook his head again from side to side. 

Leon huffed quietly. Well, so long as it was nothing potentially dangerous. 

The mind reader had apparently impressed the crowd because loud ‘uhh’s and ‘ahhh’s, followed by enthusiastic clapping was filtering through to them. They both watched on as another volunteer was chosen from the audience. The performer alternated talking to her and the audience, still using his emotive gestures. 

Another round of applause and the audience started changing shape immediately. The show was over and some people were immediately trying to steal away without tipping and trying to seem casual. At the front, the crowd had thickened, waving back and forth, throwing coins into the box at the front. The silver haired man kept up his entertainment persona, trying to encourage them. 

The phone was being held up to Leon once more.   
“I guess I was just curious. It seemed to be so easy for him.”

Leon had been silently high fiving himself for reading his partner well enough to wait him out, wait until he had found the right words. But sadness came creeping in after reading the words on the screen. He wanted to say something but Cloud had already taken back the phone and started typing again. The next message read:

“i might have been a bit jealous.” 

Cloud wasn't looking up at him this time. Clearly he wasn't very comfortable with this admittance and even though his posture had only changed slightly, Leon knew immediately that they had slipped into a very dark space. Maybe they had been in it all along and Cloud had only now let him notice.

He knew, even if he wanted it so badly and it wasn't really up to him, Cloud being always happy was just not possible. But he could aim for making sure he could stand proud about who he was. And right now, Cloud was ashamed of himself; it was already bleeding into how he viewed himself, and how he viewed his gift. If he left him to it, he could eventually tear down every ounce of self worth they had spent building up the last years. 

Slowly, Leon sat down at the edge of the fountain. He suddenly felt old, to an outsider he might have looked like he had the weight of the world pulling him down. But this wasn't a new challenge and they had years of practice together. Everything they had to say to each other had been said ages ago. There was nothing more. But he could show Cloud that he was here and was not leaving. He could give him an anchor for the emotional roller-coaster he had buried himself into the last hour. He would stay here and wait for Cloud to work through it and come back to him. 

Leons right shoulder was touching Cloud’s left one. He delicately weaved his fingers between his partner's and felt him squeeze back. That made him relax enough to sit back and settle into a comfortable position. They would be here for some time and the wind was picking up, letting the autumn chill settle in. He didn't have a blanket he could drape around them, but he didn't need the physical thing.

From far enough away and the right angle, one could see a shimmering mass, spanning almost like a cocoon around both men. Covering them, cutting them off from the real world and keeping them safe at the same time. They would face the world again when they were ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, you might not have caught it, because I never found the right point to just come out and say it in the story, but people have secret super powers in his AU. Wuhuu!   
> Cloud in particular can read minds but it brought a lot of problems for him (I'm thinking along the lines of not being able to shut it off, not differentiating between his own thoughts and those of other people etc), therefore his complicated feelings for the entertainer. Leon's powers are more physical, I'm not sure yet if it's fire based or temperature manipulation. That's the thing he did in the end there, he basically build a layer of comfy warmth, like a cocoon, between them and the world.   
> And yes, when I say ‘yet’ I mean, oh dear, I totally fell in love with this, I wanna build on it.


	3. “The skirt is supposed to be this short.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Living for a long time had required them to be apart sometimes to have a good relationship. That is about to change.

There was no daylight, only the beam of a construction light sitting on the floor, illuminating the space surrounding it and revealing the high ceiling and the stone arches delicately spanning out from the columns like spider web. 

Leon had only vague memories of this place, from back when there was lights everywhere. He remembered it had not been that large but the spotlight made the surroundings look even darker and the room seemed to stretch on forever. Where the light touched the walls and ceiling, he could see the aged, white plaster was falling off, revealing dark spots under it. At the edge of the beam, it nearly looked like a barrier breaking down, granting glimpses into a midnight coloured space.

There was the sound of footsteps echoing through the hall and he couldn’t place where they were coming from until he saw the shadows shift between the third and fourth column. The darkness gained more mass as the figure slowly detached themself from the shadows. Leon was drinking in the sight of the man striding confidently towards him, an easy smile on his lips.

“Hello, Handsome. You come here often?” The smile had slipped into a daring grin. 

Leon had to laugh at the ridiculous line. Elation was flooding through him and he was unwilling to just keep it bottled up. He hadn’t seen Cloud in so long after all, and he had missed him. Stepping forward himself, he had a matching grin on his face. They met just under the light beam and Leon swept the other man up in a crushing hug as soon as he was in reaching distance. He burrowed his face into his neck where he could here the surprised, breathy laughter. The grip he had around the others waist was mirrored quickly. And then they stayed like that. Leon just concentrated on breathing. Then on the weight in his arms. The warmth radiating from the body, so alive, so real. Here with him. He didn’t want to let go.

But eventually, Cloud started to squirm and broke out of the embrace. He stepped back, but only to be able to look into his eyes. Their fingers meet between them, unwilling to let go - loosely entangled, a week echo of their position before. Cloud still wore a smile, less mischievous and more content now. Leon loved every single one of Clouds smiles and he didn’t want him to stop, he wanted to keep them forever. 

But Cloud had other plans. He tugged slightly at his hands, pulling him with him as he walked backwards towards the entrance. 

“Let’s go out.” he said “No need to hurry. We’ve got all the time.”

Leon hadn’t noticed his throat constricting, but he noticed the rush of being able to breathe freely again. Cloud always managed to put his worries at ease before they could build up. 

They walked out into the street, now side by side but still holding hands. It was a hot day, people were roaming the street, enjoying the weather and the company. He just let the chatter wash over him and concentrated on his partner beside him. 

It had been two years since they had seen each other the last time. It was a deliberate distance they had put between them. Having lived for ages and being together for nearly as long, they had decided that they would need distance from each other from time to time. Room to grow by themselves, to explore the ever changing world around them and their role in it. It wasn’t like they didn’t have all the time in the world to still be together afterwards.  
And when they met up again after staying separate, it was like falling in love all over again. Falling in love with new nuances of the same person, appreciating the same old nuances with a new eye. There was no question their unconventional way to lead their lives together was working for them. Or at least, it had so far. 

There was a group of teenage girls walking up the stairs in front of them. They were talking and giggling loudly. All of them were dressed for the weather and Leon frowned at them.

Cloud caught it, and with a grin and one raised eyebrow said: “Quit glaring. The skirt is supposed to be this short.” 

“It just doesn't feel right, showing that much skin.” Leon grumbled.

“U-hu, I see. Say, the 18th century just called me recently, they said they want their morals back.” 

“Very funny.” 

“I thought so. But I know for a fact you didn't sleep through the last hundred years of the rise of western feminism and self-actualization and stuff. So what's really bothering you?”

There was a moment of silence when Leon tried to put the right words together.

“There has been a lot of change since we last met.” 

Cloud hummed in agreement but stayed silent otherwise.

“And before that.”

They had reached a playground. A sandbox was in the middle of it and Leon had the sudden urge to just let the sand run through his fingers over and over again. The image was calming him down a bit but he was still agitated. Talking about this could change so much.

During the last break, there had been doubt growing in Leon. It had probably started much earlier, but the last two years had been when it became obvious to him. The world was changing too rapidly and he didn’t want to face that on his own anymore. 

He hadn't needed a near death experience or anything like that. He was just sitting in his apartment one day, staring out the window. And he had suddenly just fiercely missed Cloud.  
This wasn't like before, when something had happened that he wanted to share with Cloud, but he wasn't there. Or when habits they had build together would remind him of his absence. This was just a deep, aching longing, completely baseless and unprovoked. And it had never really left him since that moment.

He wasn’t sure if Cloud felt the same. If he did, he hadn’t mentioned it. He was aware that Cloud needed his space from time to time. He had always been glad to come back together but at the same time he was happy to go out again. This could turn into a dividing difference. It could be the end. 

But Leon wasn’t the type to just let something fester between them. So he let the mental sand run once more before turning fully towards Cloud. 

“What I mean is, I think I’m done with this.” He winced. 

“That came out a bit wrong. Sorry, let me rephrase. It has been fun, going out and coming back together again. It was good. But I don’t want that anymore. It’s…” 

He inhaled and checked for a moment for Clouds reaction. His smile was gone but he was still listening. 

“It’s becoming too much for me, I think - facing it all alone. If that is something you… I would like you by my side from here on. I would like you to stay.”

He felt a squeeze from Clouds hands in his. He still had not let go.

“I love you, Leon.” 

Cloud was still looking at him. There was so much warmth in his gaze, it made Leon swallow. 

“Just wanted to reaffirm that.” 

He lowered his eyes now, staring at his thumb that was stroking back and forth across Leon's hand. 

“I...like what we have. But I like it because it's with you, not because of how we do this… we… I'd like to talk some more about this? Think about it? We'll figure something out.” 

He faced him again, face as somber as his tone had become. Just before it turned teasing again. 

“You know, that last bit sounded almost like a proposal.”

Cloud knew how to keep him on his toes, that’s for sure. But Leon wouldn't just back down like this.

“Well, how are you so sure it wasn't?” 

Leon hadn't seen Cloud blush like this in along time, and he savored it. And then a delighted glint entered Clouds eyes. 

“So what you are saying, then, is that this will be our last first date?”

Warmth spread through his whole body. Leon shouldn’t have worried. Cloud was already leaning into the idea of changing their ways. He was trying, for him. They could do this, together. 

He pulled Cloud closer to his side and they started walking again. 

"Then we'll make it the best one yet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not super happy with this, but if I don't post this now it will stay in my drawer for years…  
> Also, this is full of chliche conversation, but it’s fun so I don’t care.  
> They might both be a bit OC, but living that long only means Aerith and the rest had more time to hound them. They are bound to mellow out.

**Author's Note:**

> I swear, I just wanted to leave some comments. And then I ended up writing fic. I don't even know what I'm doing here. Also, I don't even know what that title is, I tend to go with whatever comes to mind first and I was looking out the window, and the road ends there so I guess that's how my brain works.
> 
> Anyway, prompts are taken from here: https://prompt-bank.tumblr.com/post/146902678083/drabble-challenge-1-150  
> Again, it was aryasnark that got me here. Thanks again, this has been a lot of fun so far!


End file.
